


Of Earthquakes and Sinkholes

by Twice_before_Friday



Series: October? No, I think you mean Whumptober [27]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Car Accidents, Concussions, Earthquakes, Gen, Major Character Injury, Sinkholes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:40:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27226678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twice_before_Friday/pseuds/Twice_before_Friday
Summary: Prompt No 27. OK, WHO HAD NATURAL DISASTERS ON THEIR 2020 BINGO CARD?Earthquake| Extreme Weather | Power OutageThey don't feel the earthquake, as such, but they certainly feel the shaking of the ground as the road collapses into the massive sinkhole that opens below, swallowing their car, the asphalt, and the trees lining the road. Everything happens so quickly that Malcolm doesn't even have a chance to panic as the car does a free fall into the gaping maw before it's smashing down at the bottom of the sinkhole, and everything in his world goes black.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright
Series: October? No, I think you mean Whumptober [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947595
Comments: 12
Kudos: 45
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Of Earthquakes and Sinkholes

They're about an hour outside the city when the earthquake hits. 

While New York isn't completely immune to earthquakes, they're usually of a low enough magnitude that they're rarely even felt, let alone likely to cause damage or injuries.

However, if an underground cavity already exists, an earthquake — even a small magnitude one like the quake that hits on a cool October evening — can most certainly destabilize the ground above it.

Unfortunately for Malcolm and Gil, they just happen to be driving over a stretch of back road on their way home from following a lead outside the city that covers one such cavern.

They don't feel the earthquake, as such, but they certainly feel the shaking of the ground as the road collapses into the massive sinkhole that opens below, swallowing their car, the asphalt, and the trees lining the road. Everything happens so quickly that Malcolm doesn't even have a chance to panic as the car does a free fall into the gaping maw before it's smashing down at the bottom of the sinkhole, and everything in his world goes black.

He's not out long. When he wakes, the engine is still making a spluttering, clunking sound as it cools, which leads Malcolm to believe it's only been a few minutes at most. He shakes off the disorientation that's clouding his mind — and pointedly ignores the shooting pain in his right foot — as he looks over to Gil.

Even in the dim light from above, Malcolm can make out the blood on the driver's side window and has a moment of absolute terror as the worst case scenario floods his mind.

"Gil." It's barely a whisper, hardly even audible over the hiss of the engine, but it's the best he can manage when the fear is threatening to consume him entirely.

Gil's head is resting limply on his chest, his seat belt having performed admirably in keeping him locked back against the leather seat, and Malcolm reaches over with a shaky hand to press two fingers to the side of his neck.

He holds his breath as he adjusts his fingers, praying for a tiny tap against his fingertips and nearly sobbing with relief when a steady beat drums against his skin. 

"Gil," Malcolm calls out, finding his voice now that he knows the man is alive. "Gil, can you hear me?"

With no response, Malcolm realizes he needs to check them both for injuries and inspect their surroundings for any further hazards. He's a little fuzzy as to what the hell just happened but the walls of dirt and debris surrounding the car leave little doubt that they somehow ended up underground and he's not sure if he needs to be concerned about the car falling deeper, about the earth caving in on top of them. As far as he can tell, though — for the time being, at least — it looks as though they're not in any immediate danger.

A quick once over of his own body tells him he's likely broken an ankle and some bones in his foot, the wheel-well having crumpled in when the front of the car smashed into the bottom of the sinkhole, crushing his foot but, thankfully, not trapping it. He tries to bite down on the pain but a piercing cry falls from his lips as he frees his foot from the confines of the folds of metal.

"Mmmm," Gil groans at Malcolm's shout, "Malcolm?" 

Malcolm wipes away the tears that streak his face and turns to Gil, forcing his breath to slow as he says, "Gil. Are you okay?"

Gil blinks his eyes open blearily, seemingly having problems holding his head up as he tries to look towards Malcolm.

"Wha'happened?" Gil's words come out mumbled and strained and Malcolm worries about the severity of the head injury he's obviously sustained.

Malcolm undoes his seat belt and carefully shifts closer to Gil, biting down so hard on his lower lip to stop the shout that tries to escape as he moves his shattered foot that it draws blood. There are more important things to focus on than a few broken bones.

"You seem to have discovered New York's worst parking spot," Malcolm huffs out as he brings his hands to either side of Gil's face and surveys the damage. "Congratulations."

Gil's eyebrows draw together, trying to understand Malcolm's words but obviously failing. Malcolm offers him an understanding smile and focuses on the blood that's steadily flowing from the gash on the side of Gil's head. He quickly undoes his tie and slips it from his collar, then rips a strip of fabric from his shirt, folding it up and pressing it to Gil's wound.

"Sorry," Malcolm murmurs at Gil's hiss, "Can you hold this a minute?" 

When Gil just gives him a confused look, Malcolm takes hold of his hand and moves it to the makeshift bandage, pressing it to the fabric and holding it still for a moment until he's sure that Gil is going to keep his hand there. Once Gil is securely pressing the strip of shirt to the gash, Malcolm is free to wrap the tie around the man's head to hold it in place.

Successfully wrapped up, Malcolm pulls Gil's hand away and lays it back in his lap, then leans back a little to make sure the bandage will hold. Gil looks like a terrible 1980s rocker, with the tie wrapped around his forehead and dangling down the side of his face. Malcolm might even laugh if it wasn't for the hopelessly lost look on Gil's face.

"It's okay,' Malcolm assures him. "We were in an accident, but we're gonna be fine."

"Accident?" Gil parrots back before blinking a few times, his eyes drifting over Malcolm, concern clouding his features, "You 'kay?"

"I'm fine, Gil," Malcolm smiles softly. Of course Gil's immediate concern would be for Malcolm, rather than his own well-being. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Gil can't quite seem to process the question, so Malcolm leans forward once again and checks Gil for broken bones or any other serious lacerations. Fortunately, aside from some minor cuts from the broken glass and some severe bruising, he seems to be alright.

The concussion, however, is definitely a cause for concern. The bleeding is bad enough, but combined with the confusion and Gil's inability to keep his eyes from fluttering closed, Malcolm knows he needs to get Gil help sooner rather than later.

"Hey, Gil, I need you to stay awake, okay?" Malcolm says, settling back in his seat with a groan as his foot brushes against the crumpled side of the car. He holds his breath as he pulls out his phone, but luck seems to be on his side for once; he actually has a decent signal and is able to call for help and provide a general location, knowing that the giant crater in the middle of the road will provide the emergency crews with their exact location once they get close.

Rescue crews arrive soon after, and Malcolm couldn't be more grateful for the speedy response time. With every minute they're trapped in the car, it becomes more and more difficult to keep Gil awake, and by the time a rescue worker is being lowered into the cavern, Gil is drifting in and out of consciousness, fighting to stay awake every time Malcolm begs him not to fall asleep. 

It's a losing battle.

Rescue is a surprisingly simple affair and they're in the back of an ambulance before Malcolm even has a chance to panic about Gil losing consciousness completely. The paramedics assure him that Gil is going to be okay, and the doctors tell him the same thing.

Even with those assurances, Malcolm worries. He doesn't even fight it when he's admitted to the hospital — he requires surgery to set the bones in his foot and ankle — since they're keeping Gil in for observation anyways. The Milton name and money gets them a room together once Malcolm is out of surgery, and he spends most of the night lying quietly, fighting the drowsiness caused by his pain meds, listening to the soft snoring that comes from the bed next to his.

With only a week of bedrest ahead of him, Gil is in for a far easier recovery than Malcolm, but Malcolm's still shaken by how much worse things could have been. He's lost in thoughts of what could've happened when Gil's voice pulls him from his uneasy musings.

"Kid?" Gil sounds utterly exhausted but doesn't even give Malcolm a chance to answer before he's pushing on. "I can hear you thinking from here."

Malcolm scoffs but doesn't deny it.

"Go to sleep," Gil murmurs. "I'm going to be fine, you're going to be fine. All things considered, this day falls into the 'win' category."

Malcolm can't exactly argue with that.

He takes the win and closes his eyes, focusing on the fact that they're safe, rather than the coulda-shoulda-wouldas that crowd his mind.

They're safe.

That's all that matters.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to KateSamantha once again for beating all of these!!


End file.
